Ashes
by Sopheria Dice
Summary: NaLu(M/M). What aspects of Fairy Tail would differ if Lucy were male instead of female? Lucas had no idea a chance encounter with a hyperactive wizard would lead him into a hectic guild lifestyle revolving around none other than Natsu himself. Something about Natsu was different altogether; that was that. Genderbend!Lucy
1. Encounter

**This is just a little idea I've had for a while that I wanted to get out in the open. First off, this _will _be Natsu/m!Lucy. As in guy/guy. Why? Because I like genderbends and I feel it would interesting to see how the story would differ if Lucy were male. If this idea doesn't appeal to you, then leave. But if you're curious and open-minded, then by all means, stay and hopefully enjoy. As well as a gender study, this is a bit of a character study on Lucy, Natsu, and the connection between them. Are their personalities fundamentally the same? Yes. Is the pairing dynamic fundamentally the same? Yes.**  
**Only difference is that Lucy is a guy (whose name is, for obvious reasons, Lucas here). **  
**I'm pretty open to suggestions and ideas, but if you don't like the homo and you're just here to complain about then I'd appreciate it if you would leave.**  
**Otherwise, I hope you have as fun with the idea as much as I did. **

* * *

His head hung limply against the window, allowing the ocean breeze to catch stray strands of rose-colored hair in its gentle flow. His hands clung to the edges of the leather train seat in trepidation, fingers pale in grip until the train would finally cease to move.

If there were anything in the world Natsu truly detested, it'd be trains. Or any death-trapped roller coaster idea of transportation for that matter.

He just wanted to get off and get the sweet feel of solid ground under his sandals once again. His stomach felt like it was screwing itself over from the inside out and he didn't want to stay on this train long enough to find out what the result of that would be.  
As much as he wanted to jump clear out of this shaky, hell-like nightmare, he knew it'd all be worth it as soon as he got to see Igneel.

The train came to an abrupt, slamming stop and Natsu all but rolled off his seat.  
After all, he was a cool guy.  
Cool guys didn't roll off trains like motion-sick saps.  
Cool guys took two steps down the aisle before collapsing in a moaning pile on the ground near the next car.  
Luckily, Happy dragged him by the scarf towards the door before he got stepped on.

"Uh, sir?"  
He guessed the man's voice belonged to some sort of train operator.  
Hell if Natsu could hear him though. Everything sounded like nauseating garble at this point from his little ball of pain by the wall.

"We've reached Hargeon, Natsu! Get up! Get up!"  
He heard Happy's eager chirp and kind of felt the winged cat hitting his head or something. That also could've just been his own pounding head.

"Is...he alright?"

"Aye! This always happens to him!"  
God, his head was really killing him. Maybe if he just layed down for a while, his stomach would stop trying to explode on him. He cursed under his breath as the strong odor of coal hit his nose.

"Never again...I'm never riding a train again..."

He took another breath and the smell of ash got all mixed up with the smell of dead fish and ocean and that was the end of Natsu's self control.  
Feeling worse than he ever had in his 18 or so years of life, Natsu dangled out an open window, doing his best to keep in his last meal that threatened to fly out his mouth in a less than enjoyable manner.

His feline partner seemed distracted by the city beyond them and didn't take note of Natsu's valiant struggle. "If our information is correct, the Salamander should be in this town. Let's go!"

"Gimme...a minute first..."  
Natsu felt a bit better now that motion had stopped at least. He savored in a deep breath of the wind that rustled the damp bangs over his forehead. He'd managed to keep his lunch down for the most part, if not for the rotten taste of bile he'd gotten stuck with.

He was nearly ready to stride out of there like the composed, confident mage he was.

And then the train started moving again.

And Happy, standing on the safe, motionless ground of the station, simply watched the train go by.  
None of Natsu's desperate pleas for help were heard.

* * *

"What?!"

His voice cracked in exclamation, his face flushed from his frantic run through the town. His hands lay firm on the smooth wooden counter, his head bearing forward in befuddled shock.

The kindly old man behind the counter laughed softly in amusement and replied with an apologetic stare.

The scandalized costumer continued to gape, his wide chestnut eyes trying to take in the situation.  
He'd traveled all the way across, well, probably the continent, looking for a rumored key here. He'd nearly gotten run over by a mob of screaming girls (for whatever reason that was) when he entered. Nearly tripped into the ocean. Nearly got crushed by a giant fish.  
And to top it off he probably reeked of fish.  
Lucas had dodged his way through the bustling crowd of the village in his desperate search for shops all day out there was only one shop...the last one he visited.  
If anything qualified for a complete waste of day, this would certainly be it.

"Let me get this straight...this is the only magic shop in this entire town?"

The man nodded. "Yeah. To be honest, this place is more a fishing town than anything else."

Lucas groaned, his face drooping in complete and utter hopelessness. Go figure, this 'luck' of his. What he wouldn't give for a nap right about now.

The man continued. "Not even a tenth of the people here can use magic, so this shop is mostly focused on selling to traveling wizards."

"Ugh...all this way for nothing..."  
He frowned, taking a glance at the door as the little man at counter seemed to shuffle through a few items in desperation.

"Now, now, don't say that! Take a look! I do have all the latest goods in stock!"

Lucas watched in feigned interest as the man pulled out a pink remote-looking object.

"This Colors magic is popular with the girls!"

Lucas was now clearly unamused. "Then why are you showing it to me?"

The man was undeterred from his sales pitch. "It can change the color of your clothes to match how you feel that day!"

By this point, Lucas had taken to scanning through items on the shelves as the elderly salesman was having the time of his life coordinating his outfit's palette.

"I'm looking for powerful Gatekeys." Lucas stated, unsure whether the man even heard him.

Seems he did. "Gates, huh? That's a rare request."

His lips quirked up in an enthusiastic grin as his eyes caught a tiny, open box on a table. Maybe this day wasn't a complete loss after all. "The White Doggy!"

The man looked somewhat hesitant. "That one...isn't powerful at all."

Lucas let out an odd sort of delirious chuckle, kneeling over the box like an excited child. Still, an onlooker wouldn't be able to determine much difference considering his unimposing stature and round, babyish face. Nonetheless, Lucas was a teenage boy all and all. His short golden hair framed his forehead in a handsome manner, though he habored none the masculine qualities to be described as such.

Not that he could help it even if he did stress over such matters: he'd taken after his mother through and through. It was a genetic happening he'd learned to take clever advantage of, especially in regards to his big, brown eyes. The 'puppy dog look' had never been corrupted so strategically well.

"That's okay!" Lucas smiled thoughtfully, resting his chin on his palm. "I've been looking for this one everywhere. How much is it?"

The man returned the smile. "20,000 jewel."

Lucas didn't smile back anymore. "How much again?"

"20,000 jewel."

Time to break out the big guns.

Lucas immediately dropped to his knees, staring back at the man with the most pathetic look of desperation he could muster.

A single tear dripped down his cheek.

If there was one thing Lucas did not have, it was dignity. Not like he had much masculinity to salvage anyway.

"Are you sure, Mister? I'm just...I'm so poor..."

He was also quite skilled in the art of lying.

* * *

This was exactly why he didn't get along with old men.  
Lucas grumbled angrily to himself, fists clenched at his sides and he barreled his way through the fish-smelling people of Hargeon.

"I can't believe he only lowered it 1,000 jewel...god, I even cried for that! I'm plenty charmful, _plenty_!"  
People begun to stare at the teenage boy having a bitter conversation with himself as he marched down the road. Lucas could care less.

"That fact that it's so low is what really pisses me off! The poor orphan magician boy gag never fails that badly! Cheap old man..."

To add to what could've been the worst day of his life, he practically tripped over a rock as the unnecessarily loud screams of the girl mob rang in his ears. What were they still screaming about anyway?

Lucas gripped onto a railing to peer over the bridge at the crowd below.

"The famous wizard is here!"

"It's Mr. Salamander!"  
He blinked as another group of bubbling girls zoomed past him towards the gathering area underneath them.

"Salamander?" He mused curiously, leaning further over the railing to try and get a sneak peek at the starring man of the crowd.

The name certainly sounded familiar, something he'd seen plastered on a good bit of teen magazines during his regular bookstore trips.  
This lizard guy might be worth checking out after all.

* * *

Today was definitely not one of Natsu's better days.  
He was a pretty optimistic guy, so he wouldn't call it his worst day, especially if he got to see Igneel at the end of all this.

But it was definitely at the bottom rung of days.

"Man...I wound up riding the train twice...you've got to be kidding me..."

Happy trotted along cheerfully beside him. "You're no good when it comes to riding things."

Natsu scowled. "No shit. Not to mention I'm hungry..."

"We don't have any money."

"Thanks for the reminder, Happy." Natsu glanced over the building as he walked to keep his mind distracted from his less-than-settled stomach. "This Salamander...it has to be Igneel, right?"

"Aye!" Happy replied, his tail swishing back and forth in rhythm with his steps. "Igneel is the only fire dragon I can think of."

"Yeah, same here." Natsu's mouth twitched in annoyance as mob of girls not far from him started screaming at the top of their lungs and crowding around the center of town.

_"Mr. Salamander!"_

_"You're so dreamy!"_

_"Please burn me!"_

Then again, maybe it wasn't so annoying and useless after all.

"Salamander?!" Natsu's eyes widened in excitement, and he exchanged a quick look with Happy before rushing off into the massive group.

"See!" He laughed through labored breaths as he sprinted forward, all traces of his former queasiness forgotten. "Speak of the devil, huh?"

"Aye!"

They both charged forward in childish anticipation, pushing their way through countless chattering fangirls as they made their way towards the center prize.

Said center prize, a charming dark haired man with a winning smile, paraded the middle like a stunning show dog, winking and flipping his ruffled bangs at any nattering female who so much as breathed his air.

Lost somewhere in the chaotic frenzy of hormones stood Lucas, who, in striking contrast, was the only male in the bunch. No one noticed.

All he'd come to do was check out this hotshot of a Salamander dude and then leave. That was all.  
Instead, he remained frozen on spot like a deer in headlights, staring at the entrancing swirl and swish of the magician dreamboat's cape.

He could honestly say he had no idea what he was doing.

He would have chided himself over it, but he was so engrossed in the twinkling azure of the man's eyes that he could perform no other function than to watch.

_There's something wrong with me...there's really something wrong with me..._

"You're too kind."  
The man's deep, masculine tongue egged on the rising cheers of the mob. Lucas was probably the only one present that seemed to still have control of his voice...or moreso his 'lack of' due to his mute reverie caused by the flowery-smelling man.

Salamander then turned his glazed stare towards Lucas and the blond all but fell unconscious.

_What the hell has gotten into me?! He...he only looked at me!_

_Is it because he's a famous wizard? Yeah, that's gotta be it._

_Freaky famous people and their stupid...stupidness._

Inner Lucas seemed to have adequate control of his mental state and the reasons behind it. All good.

Outer Lucas lingered there with his face red and his shaky hand clutched towards his chest like every other lovestruck female in the swarm. Not so good.

"Igneel!"

Outer Lucas began to gravitate towards the strange, flouncy man, shoving through a few clambering girls on the way.

"Igneel!"

Outer Lucas just wanted to get a better look at this oddly attractive man's face...

"**Igneel**!"

A part of the group exclaimed, pushing himself to the center of the crowd at the same time Lucas stumbled forward in his flustered stupor.

They stood opposite each other, not more than a foot apart, but it took only that moment for something breath-taking to happen.

Where did the other man's face go? The Salamander...the one he was hypnotized by...

All he could see was this boy.

Probably around his age, maybe slightly older.

He had spiky, pink hair, which could have been impossibly goofy, but somehow complimented the warm, embered glow in his eyes. His pointed, almost button-like nose gave him a bit of a cuter look, sparing none the striking presence glaringly obvious in his firm muscles and defined jaw. Lucas stared, but in this case, it felt much different than the previous situation with Salamander.

Something about this boy...felt much different altogether. The boy stared back at his observer, a perplexed expression crossing his features, and Lucas almost hoped he felt the same way he did. It wasn't something Lucas could explain with words, despite his passion for words simply...drew him to this guy.  
That was that.

After a minute, the boy turned his attention back towards Salamander, his face wiped of any tender feelings it possessed in the exchange with Lucas. "Who are you?"

Lucas almost answered.  
But he knew the question was meant for someone else.  
So he waited.

"Would the name 'Salamander' ring a bell?" The caped philanderer donned his trademark grin, proudly showcasing the gaudy rings on his hand.  
The boy was absent for this impressive display as he was already sulking away with disinterest. It didn't take but a split second for a pair of rabid fangirls to sic themselves on him in attempt to drag him back to the crowd.

_"How rude!"_

_"Yeah, Mr. Salamander's a great wizard, you know!"_

_"Apologize right now!"_

Salamander was more pleased by the scene than anything else, placing his hands on his hips and nodding in egotistical satisfaction.

Lucas stared.

He wanted to do something. Something, anything to help this boy.  
He felt kind of bad; the boy just seemed confused and had butted into the wrong place at the really wrong time.

But Lucas found himself once again petrified. He didn't realize it himself when his own gaze narrowed, zoning in on Salamander with a clear glare of resentment. He wasn't attracted to this scumbag at all. This guy was as much of trash in Lucas' head now as the cheapstake at the magic shop that didn't fall for his orphan story.

Well, okay, the magician was probably worse. Not that he understood the drastic shift in his emotions himself.

Once being forcefully yanked back to the masses, the boy remained silent in front of Salamander as he wrote '_his loving fan, Natsy_' an autograph and left him with a patronizing word or two. Finding himself reduced to a bedraggled mess in the trash pile, the boy sat on the ground, exhaling in sync with his winged cat companion beside him.

"It wasn't him after all." The cat stated plainly, taking a comfortable spot on a trash bag.

The boy grimaced incredulously, scratching some stray dirt off his pink hair. "Who the hell was that?"

A worn up black boot took a step near the boy.

"He was a real creep, huh?"

The boy looked up.

Lucas gave a sympathetic smile, awkwardly waving a hand at him. "...Thanks, Natsy."

The boy looked appropriately puzzled.

* * *

"I'm Lucas! It's nice to...uh...meet you?" Lucas watched on in astonishment as the boy proceeded to shovel down various foods by the pound, sparing no crumb in his destruction.

The boy did not respond, or more likely, could not respond due to the entanglement of spaghetti he was smashing down his throat.

So Lucas went on speaking, quietly sipping his tea.

"Your names were...Natsu and Happy, right?"

There was no acknowledgment other than a muffled 'Mfrr rabmf namf" from Natsu's part and Lucas exhaled in exasperation. He really had no idea what he was thinking when he invited these two to dinner as a 'thank you'.

"Yeah, just uh...try to slow down." Lucas' lip twitched, wiping a splatter of spaghetti sauce from his own cheek. "Stuff is flying everywhere."

Natsu and Happy seemed none the less hindered and continued consuming endless platters of food within their reach as quickly and efficiently as they could.

Lucas deadpanned. _There goes the 1,000 jewel my little show saved me._

He leaned against the back of the chair and rolled his shoulders a bit, glancing back at Natsu's ravenous food rampage. Now looked as good a time as any to get boring and somewhat embarrassing explanation out of the way.

"Here's what I figured out...that 'Salamander' guy was using a spell charm. It makes the user attract people to them, even against their will. Sale of this charm was banned years ago-"

"So you were attracted to this jackass too?"

Splendid timing for Natsu to finally pay attention to the conversation. Lucas scowled, a slight coloration to his cheeks as he slid another plate of steaming god-knows-what towards Natsu. "Look, the main point was that he was a real creep for using the illegal spell like that and I wanted to thank you for breaking me free of it. End of story. No more questions."

Natsu rolled a tomato in the palm of his hand, his eyes trained on Lucas. "I see."

Something about the look in Natsu's eyes made the situation all the more uncomfortable to Lucas, and he quickly masked the issue with an oblivious smile. "Hey, believe it or not, I'm a wizard too!"

Natsu's attention drifted back to his food with a flat reply. "Are you sure?"

Lucas made a face. "What's that supposed to mean?! I know I haven't joined a guild yet, but even so..."

"Hmm..." Natsu hummed a noncommittal response and took to munching on an apple.

"There's actually a guild I really want to join!" Lucas regained a dreamy smile, his eyes gleaming at the bustling town on the other side of the window. "They say it's pretty hard to get in, but hey, what good is it if I don't even try? It's filled with amazing wizards...I'm definitely going to get there..."

Natsu's attention stayed fixed on Lucas while his own mouth remained full of apple bits and chunks. "Yeah?"

Happy bobbed his head between the two before chipping in his two cents about Lucas. "You talk a lot."

Lucas chose to ignore that comment and directed a question towards his human dinner companion. "Come to think of it, it sounded like you guys were looking for someone."

Wherever Natsu had found a pizza at that moment, Lucas would never know. But as the pizza was now consuming Natsu's full focus, Happy raised a hand to answer in his stead. "Aye! Igneel!"

Lucas cocked his head to the side. "Igneel?"

Natsu sputtered, sticking his tongue out and waving his hand frantically to gesture his dislike of the taste of anchovies. _Served him right_, Lucas smirked.

Happy more than acceptingly took the disapproved pizza topping off Natsu's plate as the fire magician spoke.

"We were here 'cause we heard a Salamander was coming to this town, but it ended up that he was just some pervy freak in cape."

Chewing on a tiny fish, Happy nodded in agreement. "He didn't look like Salamander at all."

Natsu crossed his arms over his chest. "A Salamander is a fire dragon, so we came here all hyped and expecting Igneel. Some dragon he turned out to be."

Lucas now had about twenty mental pictures clicking through his head of ugly looking dudes flying around with disproportional wings and dragon heads. "What...kind of a person looks like a fire dragon...?!"

"Person?" Natsu seemed slightly amused, propping an arm up on the edge of the table. "Listen, Luigi, Igneel isn't a person. Igneel actually is a dragon."

Lucas grew indignant. "My name is _Lucas_! And you've got some nerve to think I'd believe a story like that! Why the hell would there be a dragon in the middle of a fishing town?!"

Natsu, having no idea why he had originally assumed it possible, now seemed fully cognizant of the fault in his Igneel theory.

Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose and set the money down on the table as Natsu zoned into his moment of epiphany. "Yeah, uh...I'll just be going now. Enjoy your meal...or, what's left of it, I guess."

Truth was, Lucas didn't want to leave.

Sure Natsu was...a little idealistic, if not a complete and utter mess, but something about him was refreshing to Lucas. The bright confidence in his eyes, the way his toothy grin spread across his face when he laughed; Natsu was charming in his own little goofball way.

It was a type of charm Lucas couldn't copy, no matter how well he lied or acted for people he wanted to convince. Not only that, but he had a feeling that lying to Natsu would be a feat in itself.

He wanted to turn back.

Wanted to say 'Hey, maybe we should meet up again sometime?'

He did no such thing.

Lucas vowed from day one not to give in to loneliness. It was a promise to himself he stuck by dutifully. He was a strong, self-dependent guy who was going to get even stronger and join a guild.

He'd be friendly, he'd be nice, move up a few stepping stones along the way. But that was that.

Trust was another issue all by itself.

So he walked to the door, getting a firm grasp on the handle with a casual wave at the server.

The server though, seemed to be staring down at the ground in perplexed delight.

Lucas turned around.

"Thank you..."

Natsu lay face down by Lucas' feet in an awkward little bow of sorts, only it looked more like he just planked out on the floor. Lucas, avoiding the potential embarrassing display Natsu was creating, turned his gaze far away.

Evidently, Natsu didn't take well to being ignored and made it a point to get a response from his dinner mate. By screaming.

"**Thank you! Lucas! Thank you! Thank you!**"

Lucas made a mortified groan and spat out in a harsh whisper. "Stop that! I heard you, I heard you, okay?!"

Satisfied, Natsu rose back up without any regard to the stares he was rapidly receiving from jeering costumers. _Must be nice to live in your own little world like that_, Lucas mustered a wry smile.

"Look, it's okay. You helped me, so now we're even!"

Natsu raised an eyebrow and muttered to Happy under his breath. "We weren't even trying to help him though..."

Happy's ears flattened in remorse. "Aye, I still feel indebted..."

Snapping his fingers, Natsu then rummaged around in his bag, his face lighting up in delight. "Hey, I know! You can have this!"

Lucas looked down at the paper his taller male companion shoved towards his chest.

What the hell could it have been? Natsu wasn't giving him money, was he?

He would've accepted without hesitation had it come from anyone else, but something was unsettling to Lucas about the idea of taking anything from the rose-haired fool. He wondered how much Natsu could afford to donate as he turned the paper over.

He was greeted by a sloppy, lecherous cursive hand of the word SALAMANDER.

"It's your boyfriend's signature." Natsu commented with a sly nudge at Lucas' shoulder.

Lucas promptly expressed his glee by shoving the now crumpled paper back to him with a hard punch to the gut.

Natsu made a strangled, dying noise before crumpling to floor on his knees.

Lucas marched off with a venomous, dictating glint in his eyes, though his fist throbbed in fresh pain.

Screw Natsu and his rock hard abs.

* * *

**I'm not a big fan of author's notes at the end of a chapter, but if anyone wants to see it continued, are there any other characters you'd like to see genderbended?**  
**Natsu and Gray are going to remain male, but those are really the only two I need to stay as they are.**  
**I'm highly considering Erza, but I think it'd be fun to do a gender study on a few others too.**


	2. Breath

**This update is going to be relatively fast compared to anything else I'll be able to manage: I do have school and that'll hinder me quite a bit in regards to this. If anything, chapters should come faster during weekends. Otherwise, I apologize if this chapter seems a bit rushed. I'm going to try to slow down my pacing, and if anything these parts will probably just seem the fastest because they're from the first episode. Basically: first episode is the necessary hurtle to jump over. So now that that's out of the way, I have a greater deal of liberty I can take with this and go a little slower. Otherwise, please, let me know if you guys have any suggestions for little things to add in!**

* * *

"Sheesh, Fairy Tail's causing trouble again? 'Devon Bandit Clan Wiped out, Seven Homes Destroyed'?"

Lucas eagerly flipped through a few magazine pages, lounging back on the bench with a childish kick of his feet. He'd decided to clear his mind of anything about Natsu ,Salamander, or basically all of the other chaos he'd had to put up with today.

He was going to stick back to his fun, normal life of writing books and mooching off people. Then, of course, he'd become an all-powerful magician and have Fairy Tail begging to let him in. He proudly had all his priorities straight and there was no way he'd let a stupid dragon-loving scarf jerk consume his thoughts like a pink-toned disease.

The blond sneered as he scanned through a hysterically emphasized article of a Fairy Tail mission gone wrong. "You'd think they'd write a decent article at least once in a while...I wonder how you're supposed to get into that guild anyway? There's gotta be like an interview or something, right?"

He sighed half-heartedly, closing the magazine as it tediously went on to numerous sections of busty, scantily clad models. Not that they weren't pleasing to look at. He just didn't care for them.

Lucas grinned to himself in a giddy, dream-like state as he imagined the high life in a guild full of fame, fortune, and authority. It would be nice for people to take him seriously every once in a while. "Damn...what I wouldn't give for a spot in Fairy Tail..."

"Oh? You want to be in Fairy Tail?"

Lucas recognized that voice. Oh, did he ever.

Smooth spikes of dark, silky hair popped out from behind a bush while a glamorous face followed suit with its matching, blinding smile.

Lucas almost want to scream.  
His eyes narrowed in bitter annoyance and he held a hand in front of his face as a pheromones-shield. "What the hell do you want?!"

Salamander's dazzling grin continued to beam at its target who was more irritated over the fact that the man had just appeared from no where of a shrub.

The charmer laughed seductively in a low, husky tone as he took a seat near Lucas. "I've been looking for you everywhere, you know."

_Why is this happening to me...why...why..._

Lucas scowled, scooting as far away from the creep and his choking flower perfume (of which he clearly had no sense of taste in). "Forget it. Your little charm isn't going to work on me: I already know about it."

Salamander was no less confident in his approach, watching Lucas with lewd eyes. "I knew from the moment our gazes connected that you were indeed a wizard! Ah, yes, but it matters not! You must come to my party!"

Awkward in any situation involving advances (especially of the pervy, creepy type), Lucas made what he could of clinging to the edge of the bench like a cornered cat, complete with a scrunched up expression of distaste. "Yeah, right, you sicko. Like I'd ever go to any party of yours."

He pursed his lips in mock offense, waving a hand dismissively. "See, you've got me pegged all wrong, my feisty blond friend! The charm was only formality; I simply want to feel like a celebrity during my party. Is that really so wrong?"

"Uh, yeah?"

The man only seemed to appear smug. "What if I told you I could get you into Fairy Tail?"

This definitely caught Lucas' attention. His jaw dropped before he slid off the bench, crashing down to the cobblestone road with a thump. He scrambled back up to something of a sitting position while he stared aghast at the caped seducer. "_You're_ in Fairy Tail?!"

Salamander rested a pointed hand under his chin, leaning back with a sly smirk that could outdo a fox. "You bet. If you want to join, I can put in a good word with our master."

_Time for a tactic change_, Lucas thought, putting on as sincere a winning expression as he could muster, sliding gracefully back on the bench with Salamander.

"This sound like it'll be a really nice party, you know!" The heavy scent of flowery perfume was stinging his eyes but he'd be damned if that was going to stop him. "Mister Salamander, you're really cool for inviting me and all! Wow! I'm so excited! Really excited! _Excitement_! As an _orphan_ I never got the chance to-"

"Uh, yes, that is uh, quite wonderful." Salamander's tolerance now seemed entirely forced as he held a hand up to stop Lucas' emotional ramble.

Lucas continued to ogle the caped man, bright eyes full of mirth. "Say, can you really get me into Fairy Tail?"

Salamander nodded in boastful arrogance, wrapping a tight arm around Lucas' petite shoulders. "But of course! You see, I consider the two of us friends. And friends can keep secrets, right?"

Lucas grew a bit tense, now aware of the arm encasing him, but did not drop his cheerful facade regardless. "What do you mean?"

"Let's keep all this 'charm' business our little secret, ok?" The man chuckled smoothly, pressing a finger to his own lips in gesture to the idea.

Lucas didn't like that, but he sure as hell could pretend he did, pumping his fist in the air and cheering jubilantly. "Yeah! Sure! Whatever you want! Whoo!"

After taking a furtive glance around, Salamander stood back up and bowed courteously, winking at Lucas as he rose back up. "I'm glad. I'll be seeing you at the party then."  
Lucas laughed airly and waved in a robotic manner to Salamander, who used his magic to disappear into thin air or whatever such exits could be classified as. Not that it mattered to Lucas anymore.

He jumped off the bench, letting out a victorious cry before he made a hurried sprint back towards the town.

This was finally it! He was going to get into Fairy Tail!  
His lips curved upward into a cocky grin as he ran.

He just had to be nice to this jackass until then.

* * *

His scarf caught the nighttime breeze, rustling across his chest in a peaceful manner. Natsu gazed up at the moon from his spot on the bridge, paying little attention as his tired cat friend found comfort in the warmth of his hair.

It was odd: he didn't feel nearly as disappointed over the phony Igneel as he thought he would have.

He'd been so distracted by the dinner and satisfaction of a full stomach that he didn't even have time to get pissed over it. He definitely lucked out by meeting that talkative blond guy with all the money.

What was his name again? Natsu vaguely recalled it starting with a Lu-something: he'd always had a terrible track record when it came to remembering names.  
He still felt guilty over taking advantage of a free dinner like that, not that he had meant to in the first place. In the least, he wanted to meet with the guy again and offer an apology. He didn't really seem to take Natsu's boyfriend joke as well as he had hoped; that was evident from the still burning in his gut.  
Unless it was just his magic going haywire on him.

The wizard yawned, leaning against the railing with a nostalgic smile. Hopefully the guy wasn't too far off in town; it'd make it all the more difficult to find him again. This time, he figured it was best he return with a real apology gift too.  
Natsu wasn't willing to test out how fierce those mesmerizing brown eyes could really get.

"_Look, look, that's Mr. Salamander's boat!"_

A couple of girls- Natsu recognized them as a former part of the mob- were pointing out at a showy cruise liner and giggling between each other.

"_I wish I could've gone!"_

"_I heard he's a member of Fairy Tail!"_

What?  
Natsu raised an eyebrow, his mouth twitching into an irritated frown. Fairy Tail? Now that was ridiculous; as if a creeper like that would be in Fairy Tail.

"_Did you see the boy that was walking with him?"_

"_Oh, yeah, the blond one! I wonder what he had to do with Mr. Salamander."_

"_Who knows! I kind of remember seeing him in our group though...weird..."_

Oh, now he really didn't like the sound of this.  
Wasn't that guy snapped out of the charm when he walked in and interrupted?  
But then again...if no one was there to interrupt and the fake Salamander found him again...  
This was bad, this was definitely bad.

Natsu muttered a curse, prying Happy off his head before rushing down the stairs. If someone was going to save Luigi, he'd be the one to do it.  
Wait, Luigi didn't really sound right; the guy had a nicer name than that. Natsu could distinctly remember the way it rolled off his tongue, just not the sound that went along with it.

Though, god, did he ever hate boats.

* * *

When this party was over, Lucas was going to take a five hour bubble bath and scrub every single part of himself that even remotely reeked of flowers.  
And fish.  
But moreso the flowers.

Lucas had run all the way back into town just to rent a tux for this, and while he had no issue admitting he looked attractive, his current scent was another issue.

Lucas' face was starched and ironed with a dazzling smile as he sat at a table across from Salamander, who took to making little droplets of wine fly in the air as a display of his fine magical abilities.

Lucas didn't even try to listen to what the lecherous babble the man was purring into his ear.  
This was all just beyond creepy and Lucas swore it'd be a miracle if he got out of this place without committing suicide. Nevertheless, he laughed stiffly and played along with the little game, taking in the fresh scent of champagne.

And sleep magic.  
Ok, now _that_ he was definitely not putting up with.

Lucas growled and stood up, slamming his hands down on the table. "Hey, what gives?! I could tell that was sleep magic! Look, if there's one thing I'm not doing, it's getting knocked out and letting you have fun with-"

"Ooh, you're a tough one, aren't you?" Salamander remained collected for a moment before his mouth twisted into an empty, delirious simper.

Lucas hitched a breath, taking a step back. This smile was _leagues _creepier than the other, more blinding ones.

Salamander made a quick snap of his fingers before various large and imposing guild members appeared from behind curtains, the unconscious bodies of victims slung over their shoulders like freshly killed prey.

Assessing the situation, Lucas turned forward, a defiant, disgusted glare crossing his features as he held eye contact with Salamander. "You're not from Fairy Tail."

The caped man immediately burst into a sickening, sharp laughter, crossing his arms across his chest. "Splendid, really. You finally figured it out! Good job. Favorably, though, you were mindless enough to actually get on this ship. So much for your Fairy Tail dream, huh?"

"What are you planning on doing with all of these people?" Lucas seethed, reaching into his pocket to feel the dangling of his Gatekeys.

"Oh, that won't matter much once you're knocked out, now will it, my_ friend_?" Salamander snickered, summoning an air of fire magic around himself. "You're all Bosco merchandise now."

The fire hissed, curling around Lucas' arm and snapping his open key set out of his hands. Lucas yelped, shooting Salamander a spiteful look as he clutched his own throbbing arm.

Salamander loftily clutched the keys in his hand, jingling them around in mock interest. "Gatekeys...so you're a celestial wizard? Whatever. These keys are useless to me."

His lip curled up in delirious delight as he tossed the keys out of an open porthole. Lucas felt a lump rise up in his throat when he heard the disheartening clunk of keys hitting the water.

His magic...the keys he'd spent years collecting just to be strong...strong enough to be a wizard like this guy...

He was sickened by it all. Even worse, he was nothing without his keys. There was nothing that could even remotely classify him as a wizard now, all thanks to the sick bastard that dumped his keys into the ocean.

There was nothing unique about Lucas.

"Are you going to cry now?" Salamander laughed derisively, grabbing onto Lucas' chin and forcefully pushing his head up to look at him. "You're nothing but a kid. You actually thought you'd have a chance of getting into Fairy Tail? No one would want a useless magician like you. Not a single guild, not a single person."Lucas could feel the man's sharp fingernails digging into his cheeks. "You're just a little boy."

It all happened in less than a second.

The ceiling began to cave in and damp brown eyes slowly focused on the cracks spreading in the wood above them. Debris began spilling from the pressured barrier above and before long the entire ceiling collapsed on itself, kindling a thick dust cloud along with the destruction that followed. Lucas choked, suffocating on the smoky air that became trapped in his lungs. He felt the held back tears spilling out of his eyes and there wasn't a thing he could do to make them stop.

He was going to die here.

He was going to die here as a good-for-nothing, stupid _kid_.

His hand still covered his mouth and his face still streamed with tears in the moment he decided to look up.  
He found dark, flaming eyes ablaze, their heat sending an exhilarating chill down his spine.

The eyes weren't angry.  
They were scared. The eyes were scared until the moment they met his own, whereupon they softened, their internal fire dimming to a dull ember.

Lucas bit his lip to keep it from trembling, the words shakily escaping his mouth as soon as he regained his voice.

"_Natsu_."

Natsu's face relaxed into a soothing smile, his eyes reflecting a message that said everything would be okay.

Lucas didn't hesitate to believe him.

Natsu held the smile for a minute before it completely disappeared and his face went sickly pale. He groaned unintelligibly as he crumbled to the ground, looking as if he'd lose his entire dinner in a short amount of time.

Lucas gaped, blinking at the pathetic sight of the once dramatic hero in this mess. Salamander and the other guild members seemed as nonplussed as Lucas.

"Lucas!"

The blond turned his head to the call, eyes locked on the curious blue cat hovering above them. "Happy?"

The feline nodded and cocked his head to the side. "What are you doing here?"

"I was tricked!" He growled, kneeling down by the miserable pile of Natsu on the ground. "Salamander said he'd get me into Fairy Tail...some idiot I was for believing that bullshit..."

"Nevermind, you can talk later!" Happy chirped before swooping down and wrapping his abnormally strong tail around Lucas' waist. He looked severely dumbfounded before the cat lifted him up into the air, carrying them both far away from the ship.

"Wait, wait, hold on!" Lucas panted, still trying to process everything that had just crashed into his life, quite literally at that. "We have to get Natsu!"

"I can't carry two people." Happy stated plainly as they soared farther and farther away from the boat.

"Are you serious?! Look, we have to do something!" He begged, frantically trying to peek back at the disaster. "There are tons of people trapped in there and we can't just leave Natsu to fend for himself either!"

"Hey, Lucas."

"What?! Do you have an idea?"

"My transformation is over." Said Happy as they both began plummeting down into the ocean.  
Lucas was never again allowing a flying cat to rescue him. Ever.

He sputtered when the salty ocean water burned his throat, weighing him down through his now soaked tuxedo. Bringing himself to an adequate swimming position, he tread forward, catching sight of a golden, shining object beneath his feet. His eyes lightened in hope and he took a deep breath before he went under. He scanned through the murky currents, finally spotting his Gatekeys hooked on a jutting rock formation. Lucas surged forward, quickly swiping the keys and popping back up with a relished breath.  
His arm struck forth with a selected key, hitting the water with a smack as he chanted. "Open, Gate of the Water Bearer!"

A regal, blue haired mermaid appeared from a bright light, floating in the air above them as if she were about to be bored to death.

"Aquarius!" Lucas spat in a panic, motioning his arms toward the ship. "Use your power to push that ship back to the port!"

Aquarius scowled. Her only response was a flick of the head accompanied by an irritated 'Tch'.

Lucas' eye twitched and he clutched his own wet hair in frustration. "Look, this isn't the time for your games! Natsu needs help and if anything happens to him I-"

"Heed my words, annoying child." Aquarius' icy gaze remained focused on the gaudy, broken ship ahead. "Drop my key again and I will not hesitate to kill you."

Lucas gulped and forced a sheepish smile, deciding it'd be best to remain on the mermaid's good side. "I'm sorry, ok? But please, hurry. There's someone I need to save."

Aquarius paused shortly, meeting Lucas' eyes with her piercing stare. She then nodded, stirring up the surrounding ocean in a massive current that effectively- and perhaps terrifyingly- washed up everything and everyone back to shore. The event itself looked more like a short lived hurricane than anything else.  
Lucas now lay sprawled on the sandy shore, coughing up water and shooting Aquarius a less-than-amused glare.

"You swept me up."

"Oops. The ship was accidentally caught in the wave."

"You were aiming for me?!"

Aquarius scoffed, turning away with a sly twitch of the lip. "Don't call me for a week. I'm going on a trip with my boyfriend."

"Of course you are."

"With my boyfriend."

"I heard you the first time!"

Aquarius smirked as she disappeared back into the key, leaving a sandy and soaking wet Lucas on the beach with the shipwrecked aftermath of a natural disaster. The townspeople chattered worriedly as they crowded around the destroyed ship and the endless clusters of unconscious partygoers it housed.

Lucas rose up and made quick survey of the disaster zone. His attention fell on a pink haired mage standing on top of the ship wreckage, his scarf blowing fiercely in the turbulent ocean wind. Natsu looked down on Salamander with an vacant, hardened expression, his voice lowered, into a clipped, threatening growl. "You're a Fairy Tail wizard?"

Salamander attitude went untouched by this and he simply regarded Natsu with an arrogant flip of the hand. "Yeah, so?"

Within a split second, Natsu charged forward, his arm itself on fire as his grabbed Salamander by the collar of his torn up, soaked cape. The man looked increasingly pale, his once cocky, arrogant eyes bulging in fear. The smell of expensive fabric catching on fire lingered in the air.

"I'm Natsu of Fairy Tail." Natsu spat through clenched teeth, his sharp canines poking out over his cracked lips. "And I've never seen you before in my life."

Lucas didn't move, letting the smell of smoke filling his lungs as he stared at Natsu. The fire mage was no longer bound by his jacket and his muscular arms were free, flowing with the tremendous amount of magic their owner had previously suppressed. Lucas watched on in awe as Natsu began to take down the bulky guild members attacking him, the Fairy Tail insignia proudly displayed on his shoulder with each fluid movement of his body.

Lucas had never seen anything as breath-taking as Natsu had been in that moment.

* * *

He took three careful steps down, each followed by a broken creak of wood.

With each step, drops of blood followed, spilling onto the red-stained sand below.

"Natsu." Someone called.

He looked up, his face dirtied and scratched with red. "Hey."

The boy stepped forward and he felt a soft, moist cloth pressed to his forehead. The wounds stopped throbbing. "They beat you up, didn't they?"

Natsu laughed heartily, running a hand through his own tousled hair. "You kidding? I completely owned them."

The boy sighed, pulling the cloth back. "I meant on the ship when you got sick."

"Oh." Natsu shrugged, walking forward. "It's no big deal. I heal pretty quick, you know."

"...I'm sorry."

Natsu blinked, biting his bottom lip. "Sheesh, what do you have to be sorry for?"

The boy seemed uncertain, shaking his head in a discreet manner. "You're right. If anything, I should be thanking you again."

"You don't have anything to thank me for. We're even, remember?" Natsu's eyes gazed up at the midnight sky. "Listen, you...you're not useless."

Chestnut eyes widened, looking at nothing but one. "What?"

"What that bastard fake Salamander was saying to you before." Natsu kicked at the ground absently, feeling a great deal less confident under those eyes. "He was wrong."

The boy lacked a response. Natsu continued.

"Hey..." He inhaled, turning back around to face the boy. "You wanted to join Fairy Tail, right?"

The boy nodded, slowly and surely.

Natsu nodded back, a warm, toothy grin filling his face. "Let's go."

* * *

Lucas trudged along, feeling more exhausted emotionally than he ever had before in his life. All in the same day, he had almost gotten kidnapped and killed by a man who reeked of lilacs. He had wasted 1000 jewel on food for an idiot that he swore he'd have nothing else to do with. He was now on a full-out journey to Fiore with said idiot. He was now in a guild, and not just any guild, he was now (unofficially) in Fairy Tail.

And to top it off, he was still freezing cold in a soaking wet tuxedo that he would probably never get around to returning.

He now had no idea whether to classify this as the best or the worst day of his life.

"Hey, you look really nice, Luigi."

Lucas blinked, then deadpanned at Natsu through his dripping wet bangs. "Lucas. My name is Lucas!"

Natsu held up his hands defensively. "Sorry,_ Lucas_. I was only trying to compliment you, geez..."

"Learn my name first!"

Natsu sighed, folding his arms behind his head as he walked. He peered over at his traveling companion as he rolled the name of his tongue. "Lucas, Lucas, _Lucas_..."

Lucas facepalmed, a flustered coloration to his cheeks. "Stop that!"

Natsu look abashed, scrunching his nose up in discontent. "Touchy, touchy. Is that the thanks I get for saving your ass and getting you into Fairy Tail?"

Lucas said nothing, staring down at the ground beneath them. Natsu bent his head down, observing him for a minute. He then took off his scarf and carefully draped it over Lucas' neck. "It's dry. I mean, I'd try warming you up with fire but I think you might get burnt."  
The gesture didn't go unappreciated by Lucas, who nestled the scarf closer around his own neck. "Thanks, Natsu."  
Natsu chuckled and trotted forward, starting up conversation with his flying cat.

Once his hero's attention went elsewhere, Lucas bundled the ends of the scarf in his hands, burying his nose in the soft, fuzzy fabric. Natsu's smoky, calming scent filled his senses, coursing a distinct warmth through his veins.  
That alone could've served as an endless source of heat for Lucas altogether.

He ultimately decided that this day wasn't his worst.

Unbeknownst to his companion, Natsu watched the scene from the corner of his eye.

A tender smile made its way across his lips.


End file.
